NINE people have been arrested as part of a crackdown on drug dealing at two Hounslow bookmakers.
Police raided Totesport and Ladbrokes, in Staines Road, Hounslow, on Thursday arresting three people for possession of cannabis.
Officers, who cordoned off Bell Corner for an hour as they searched the premises, also found bags of the class B drug and a Stanley knife blade discarded on the floor of Totesport.
Cops then set up a crime prevention stall at the site, alongside their mobile CCTV van. They continued to target suspected drug dealers and their associates throughout Thursday and Friday, searching 49 people and making six further arrests for drug and immigration offences, assault and theft of a charity box.
A total of 35 officers from Hounslow Police were involved in the two-day operation, launched following a number of complaints about drug-dealing and intimidation of staff and customers at the two betting shops.
Sergeant Pete Murphy, of Hounslow Heath Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "This is a great start to our objective of making Hounslow a safer place to live and work. A large number of people have praised our approach to this problem, but this is only the start. We have now identified the main suspects and will continue to target them if they choose to come to Hounslow Town centre intent on dealing drugs.
"We are now looking to work closer and supporting the two betting offices used by the drug dealers, by issuing Banning Notices to keep them out in the open for us to deal with."
He added that police would continue to work with local businesses and the council to tackle drug dealing in the area, with greater use of ASBOs and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts among the options being considered.
Anyone with any information about drug dealing in their area is asked to call the Hounslow Safer Neighbourhood Teams on 020 8247 6189 or Crimestoppers, free and anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
